The genre of Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) is becoming increasingly popular. Many users genuinely enjoy the idea of playing such games with and against thousands of other users. The users also tend to appreciate the “escape” aspect of many MMOGs. Game developers spend countless hours creating huge online worlds with never before seen levels of interactivity and detail.
While online worlds that allow users to escape are popular, these games tend to be extraordinarily complex. There are several challenges associated with creating and balancing a virtual society for thousands of players. And, the challenges do not stop once the game is developed. Once developed, many of the games still need to be actively managed.
While a great deal of time is spent making games better, larger, and more detailed, too little time is spent addressing the challenges associated with actually managing the playing of the games (e.g., distributing, running, supporting, and updating the MMOGs).
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